cognitive neuroscientist / fanatic runner

Barefoot Running Workshop 3: Hills, Speed & Precautions

Many thanks to all who attended the final session of our Barefoot Running Workshops! In today’s workshop we built on the fundamentals of running mechanics covered in the first and second workshops. We tweaked our speed and hill running techniques, addressed safety issues unique to barefooting and took running video selfies for gait analysis. Here are some of the highlights of the day’s fun …

Happy, dirty feet, post-hills and sprints!

HILLS

Downhill

When running downhill, the impact on the body increases due to acceleration from gravity. When you drop a ball, it will fall faster when it hits the ground if dropped from 10 feet than 5 feet; similarly, your body will actually descend faster towards the ground when plummeting downhill than climbing up. The secret to effective downhill running lies in using that acceleration to your advantage, rather than letting gravity get the better of you.

Minimize bouncing. With that extra distance between you and the earth, downhill running comes with additional vertical motion. Try to minimize any unnecessary upwards motions, like jumping or bouncing, that will only exacerbate the stress from the downward fall. Aim to stay low to the ground and level on the horizontal plane.

Bend the knees. The knees serve as shock absorbers, so bent knees can greatly counter the added stress from downhill running. This also facilitates a low, steady stride, making it even easier to avoid bouncing and pounding.

Avoid breaking. Embrace gravity, don’t resist it. Steep inclines will automatically increase your pace, and a faster than normal clip can feel uncomfortable. A natural – often subconscious – response is to put on the breaks, stiffening the joints to counter the impact. This defense mechanism is far from beneficial, creating unnecessary tension as we clench in resistance, which only opens the door to injury. Take advantage of the acceleration and allow yourself to float. Once you release and embrace the descent, the ride will feel more like flying than a downward crash.

Don’t over-stride. Over-striding is always dangerous, but exceptionally so when running downhill. What’s worse, downhills actually encourage over-striding, as they entice us to extend the leg out in front as a protective mechanism. This only forces you into a heel strike and increases stress on the shins and knees – a dangerous combination when coupled with an already elevated impact from the incline!

Uphill

In contrast to downhills, uphill running requires us to fight against gravity. Maintaining proper form will keep you strong to efficiently conquer these demands.

Lean into hill. Exaggerate your forward lean to counteract the incline. But take care to lean not at the waist, but with the entire body. Collapsing forward will only increase your workload and make that hill feel extra torturous!

Stay tall. Since the goal is upward movement, aim to lengthen the body upward. This is where good posture is key, keeping the back tall and long, head high and looking forward.

Steady effort. Powering up a daunting hill may not be the best tactic to smoke your competition. Your strong sprint could easily backfire, leaving you exhausted by the time you summit. Rather than keeping a steady pace, aim to maintain a steady effort. This of course, means slowing it down on those inclines. To track your effort, monitor your breathing rate; regular breathing means regular effort and is a good indication you’re not over-exerting yourself.

SPEED

Increase forward lean. To run faster, we need to increase the amount of forward motion per step. This extra ground coverage can be achieved relatively easily be simply leaning forward.

Light feet and high cadence. Faster speed does not in fact require higher cadence (leg turnover rate). You should strive for the same high cadence as always (at least 180 steps per minute). However, when sprinting this high cadence will even further work to your advantage. Speed can be more strenuous on bare feet, encouraging shearing and friction. Keeping your foot-strike light and cadence high can minimize these effects by reducing your ground contact time.

Open stride. Don’t be afraid to open up your stride. Barefoot running often encourages a shorter stride, but a longer stride can help support speed for any runner. Allow your hips to open a bit more and your leg to lift a touch higher than usual, but remain fluid and never force a gait change.

PRECAUTIONS

Blisters & Abrasions

Blisters and raw skin are relatively common for novice barefoot runners. While unpleasant, these can be valuable training tools as they’re telltale signs of sub-optimal biomechanics. Use their appearance and location to pinpoint your weaknesses. Blisters on your toes? You may be pushing off or gripping excessively. Calluses on your heel? You may be striking too far back on the rearfoot. Abrasion on the ball of your foot? Try not to scrape, shuffle or shear the foot on landing, but lightly place and lift instead.

“Dangerous” debris

The greatest concern for the new barefoot runner is cutting or bruising their feet on all the glass, rocks and dirty needles littering our earth. In truth, such dangers aren’t prevalent and are relatively innocuous to the conditioned bare foot. That said, there are of course certain encounters that are best avoided by even the most experienced barefooters.

Urban debris. Most obvious are artificial hazards such as shards of glass or rusty nails. Large dangers are easily avoided by scanning the ground, and smaller ones may not even penetrate the thick, tough skin of the foot’s plantar surface. Of course, in the unlikely case you sustain a bad cut or puncture, seek medical attention!

Natural debris. More likely to take down a barefoot runner are hazards lurking naturally in the trails and grass. Thorns and burs love attaching to feet and although painful, are easily pulled out. Landing hard on a stone can bruise, but the feet will become resilient to even the most daunting rocks and pebbles as the feet strengthen with experience. A less often considered risk, but one that’s taken down yours truly on countless occasions, are bees. Depending on your reaction to bee stings, you may want to seriously reconsider running in grass, especially during the spring and summer, when bees love frolicking through the grass as much as we humans do.

Environment

Heat: Depending on your foot conditioning and tolerance, hot ground can pose unique challenges to the barefoot runner. But because of the reduced foot-contact time when running compared to walking, it’s surprisingly easier on your feet to run on hot terrain. Some surfaces heat more readily than others, so stick to concrete or dirt over pavement. The painted white lines on roads can offer some refuge, as long as you’re careful to avoid cars!

Cold. In some aspects, the cold can be more hazardous to the barefooter than the heat. In extreme cases, the feet can go numb, which reduces sensory feedback and encourages poor biomechanics (not to mention posing a risk of frostbite!). Feet often warm up after just a few minutes of running, but if you do lose sensation, stay smart and stop or put on some protection. Just a pair of socks will often suffice to keep the feet warm while retaining a mostly barefoot feel.

Wet: Running through the rain, mud and puddles can be one of the most exhilarating barefoot experiences. But stay cautious of smooth surfaces, which can become dangerously slick when wet. Water can also soften the skin, making it more likely to rub raw on rough terrain or long runs.

As both a student and teacher, these workshops have been a far more rewarding and educational experience than I originally anticipated. More importantly, they’ve also served as a fantastic tool to connect with the small but passionate community of barefoot runners in San Diego. Given how fun and successful this “pilot” series has been, there will definitely be more! Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with suggestions for what you would like featured in upcoming workshops, and stay tuned details about future events.